Think cool

An exhibit at Bishop Museum is out to prove the brain is just that

Wearing a helmet may not look cool, but it can save lives or at least avoid a trip to the emergency room. Anything on wheels, from skateboards to bikes, leave riders susceptible to injury.

'Brain: The World Inside Your Head'

On display: Through Jan. 20

Place: Bishop Museum

Admission: $15.95 general, $12.95 seniors and children 4 to 12, free for ages 3 and under; kamaaina and military rates are $7.95 general, $6.95 seniors and children 4 to 12

Call: 847-3511 or visit bishopmuseum.org

Also: Family Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a special admission price of $3

This is just one thing Cherylee Chang, medical director for the Neuroscience Institute at the Queen's Medical Center, hopes kids learn as they visit Bishop Museum's new exhibit, "Brain: The World Inside Your Head."

"We are trying to teach kids at a young age about how important the brain is," she said. Through interactive activities and displays, kids can learn how to protect this "precious organ" that is responsible for every thought, motion and response the body makes, she added. "People tend to think things grow back -- like growing a bone. The brain doesn't grow back."

But safety is not the only reason to encourage a visit. "The brain is so cool," Chang said. For instance, have you ever wondered why little kids have such big heads? "The brain grows really fast. By the age of 4, the brain has reached full size." The body catches up later.

Thirteen three-dimensional reproductions, virtual reality, hands-on learning activities and video games explore the mysteries and complexities of the brain, including a daily "Are You Smarter Than a Genius?" program.

"I'm excited about looking at the optical illusions and the exhibits about dreams," said Hi'ilani Shibata, education operations manager at Bishop Museum. "The daily program uses brain teasers -- it challenges people to really use their brains."

COURTESY BISHOP MUSEUM
Displays from "The Brain: The World Inside Your Head" explore the mysteries and complexities of the organ.

Real brains from animals and humans are on display, as well as a model of a 19th century lab in which researchers began learning about the brain.

The exhibit also looks at a few of the most common brain ailments, including depression, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia, providing a way for parents to talk to their children about mental illness.

"They get to walk into a big brain, that shows the synapses connecting between the neurons," Shibata added. The exhibit also questions the fine line between genius and mental illness. Was Einstein's brain really bigger? Did a great composer actually have a tumor pressing on a specific area of the brain?

"Memory is another big one," Shibata said. "People have senior moments and can't remember," she said. "As children, we are trying to build our memory, increasing it with each school year. As we become older, it becomes difficult to remember things."

The Brain exhibit first debuted at the Smithsonian's Art and Industries Building in 2001 and has journeyed to 15 science centers and museums worldwide. The local exhibit also features a human skull (circa 1300) found in Peru that shows evidence of brain surgery and an epoxy cast of a triceratops brain cavity made from a bisected fossil skull. Both items are on loan from the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

On Family Sunday, Chang and her associates will display "cool gadgets" used to monitor brain activity or prepare for surgery. "They can see what we stick inside people's brains," Chang said.

Booths covering helmet safety and other issues will also be featured. "We really want to educate the public about the importance of prevention," she said. "Everything should be fun. We don't want to see them in the hospital."

COURTESY BISHOP MUSEUM
Displays from "The Brain: The World Inside Your Head" explore the mysteries and complexities of the organ.

Think About It

» The human brain contains as many neurons as there are stars in the Milky Way.

» While the brain makes up only 2 percent of body weight, it uses 20 percent of the body's fuel.

» By the age of 4, a person's brain has grown to its full size.

» Famous folks suffered from brain disorders. Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were dyslexic. And it is believed that Abraham Lincoln suffered from major depression.

» Your brain is the most complex structure in the known universe.

» Your brain never turns off throughout your entire life.

» Childhood years are the best time to develop strong math, logic and musical skills.

» There are no pain sensors inside the brain. Surgeons can operate on the brain while the patient is fully awake.